BETWEEN THE LINES: The long-awaited football season begins

Those who have read my column over the years know that August is my least favorite month. As much as I love summer, the eighth month of the year is too much of a good thing. There is something about temperatures in the triple digits that send my state of mind south.

However, now that we move into September, my attitude does an abrupt 180.

Last Friday marked the inauguration of the fall football season as high schools from across the state sprang into action. As someone once joked, Texas has two sports: football and spring football — an obvious exaggeration.

However, participation in football games consists of far more than just the players.   Add in the band, drill team, flag corps, cheerleaders and twirlers and one can witness a larger percentage of the student body being represented during the games. Each group spends countless hours polishing their skills in preparation for their performances.

Anxious parents, relatives, and classmates sit in the stands looking forward to the fringe benefits of "Friday Night Lights."
This coming weekend will mark the opening of the college football season as hordes of tailgaters begin planning their elaborate gourmet presentations. Gone are the days when just hot dogs were thrown on the grill. Technology has taken over what used to be mundane parking lots.

Each gathering now includes several flat-screen televisions so their attendees can watch multiple games both before and after the contest.

In addition to the football teams being ranked, now tailgaters get recognized as well.  Last year the Houston Texans replaced the perennial champion Kansas City Chiefs as the best tailgating extravaganza in the NFL. So if your team sucks, at least one can feast on the fine cuisine — a small consolation prize indeed.

I must admit the plethora of games being televised nowadays provides a great diversion from the over-analysis of news events being televised into our households 24/7.

Nothing would be better than for Congress to take an extended vacation. That way they would be unable to pass any more schemes designed to separate us from our money under the pretext the new legislation would be in our best interest.

Over the next three months, teams will be jockeying for a playoff position, and the right to extend their seasons. Their performances will be placed under a microscope and dissected repeatedly, much to the chagrin of the respected coaches.

Sports-talk shows will take center stage

Questions abound. Will Garrett Gilbert be a suitable replacement for Colt McCoy? Can he hold up under the expectations of fans who have grown accustomed to trips to the National Championship? Is this the year that Wade Phillips can cast off the albatross of playoff failures to lead the Cowboys to the Promised Land?

Over in Aggieland the alumni are wondering if Mike Sherman is the answer to revitalizing the fortunes of the maroon and white, and returning the team to the glory days of the "Wrecking Crew."

Living in the shadows of the Forty Acres and watching the Longhorns compete for national championships has been an humbling experience for the Kyle Field crowd.

In Houston fans are wondering whether this is the year for the first Texan playoff team.  Expectations are high in the Bayou City, but with them comes the pressure of producing results.

It has been a long journey since the days of "Luv Ya Blue."

Adios long hot summer. Hello pigskin fever.

Laughlin is a Christian Libertarian. He is an economist, teacher, father, husband and most recently a grandfather. He has written a weekly column for The Tribune for 12 years. He and his wife Gina reside in Meadowlakes. To contact him, e-mail ablaughlin@nctv.com. He is an independent columnist, not a staff member, and his views do not necessarily reflect those of The Tribune or its parent company.